Carburetor float clip



March 27, 1962 R. H. HIEGER 3,026,900

CARBURETOR FLOAT CLIP Filed May 11, 1959 Ill-31.1.. E E

Z0 /6 l2 Zz PP/oR ART /8 P i IE1E=3 INVENTOR ROBERT HENRY H/EC ER H 0 I75 HEMDAN 4 TTORNEVS 3,026,900 CARBURETOR FLOAT CLIP Robert Henry Hieger, 14305 Faust, Detroit, Mich. Filed May 11, 1959, Ser. No. 812,427 3 Claims. (Cl. 137-444) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in liquid metering devices and more particularly to a carburetor float shaft retaining and positioning clip.

For many years the carburetor float shaft was of such construction as to be threaded into the sidewall of the carburetor float bowl. This did not provide a positioning problem, since the tools used in the manufacture of carburetors accurately located the position of the float shaft. However, because of this threaded construction the cost of manufacture was considerably higher than it is today.

In carburetors of current manufacture the ends of the float shaft are positioned in a pair of aligned, downwardly depending shaft mounting grooves recessed into the sidewalls of the float bowl. This provides a method of mounting the float shaft which is very inexpensive. This is true because the grooves can be molded into a die cast carburetor body, which results in the elimination of several machining operations.

This new groove type construction, in addition to being inexpensive, also eliminated the possibility of any fuel leakage around the threaded float shaft opening. However, with this simple change in manufacturing procedure a new problem heretofore non-existent arose. The problem is that of accurately holding the carburetor float and float shaft in position. This problem was not present in the old thread type construction, because the threaded engagement of the shaft into the bowl made the two parts rigid.

The drawings of the prior art illustrate the retainer clip used for this application with the new construction. Installation of this type clip was slow and costly. Frequently in production, several of these clips were tried before satisfactory results could be obtained. Since this prior art clip could be used only once, frustration ran high and scrap clips were many.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a carburetor float shaft retainer clip which is simple, durable and efficient.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a carburetor float shaft retainer clip which is resilient and reusable many times.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a carburetor shaft retainer clip which is more eflicient, yet less expensive than those now in use.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a carburetor shaft retaining clip which can be applied more rapidly than those now in use and without excess scrap.

These and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a carburetor float retainer clip of resilient wire; a first arcuate bend in said resilient wire to form a U-shape, thereby forming two leg portions; said legs positioned in generally parallel relationship and of equal length; each of said legs "bent downwardly and at an angle greater than 90 degrees; a vertically disposed needle valve seat assembly located in the carburetor body float bowl; a groove in said needle valve and seat assembly; a pair of aligned grooves of equal depth on opposite sides of said carburetor float bowl; a float member; a float shaft; a first pair of spaced grooves in said float shaft; said float and float shaft positioned in said aligned grooves; the arcuate portion of said resilient retainer clip positioned in the groove in said needle valve seat assembly; and the 3,26,900 Patented Mar. 27, 1962 legs positioned in said float shaft grooves to retain said float and shaft in position.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters desig nate corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates the prior art clip construction.

FIG. 2 illustrates the carburetor float shaft retainer clipof the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a top plan view of a carburetor body with the carburetor float shaft positioned by the retainer clip illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the carburetor float bowl taken substantially on line 44 of FIG. 3, with the retainer clip of the present invention shown in elevation.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseolog-y or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitations.

Since the operation of a carburetor is well known in the art, the specification will therefore contain only references to the parts of the carburetor involved in the present in vention.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates the prior art. The clip of the prior art was installed by first positioning the two hooked portions of a clip into the corresponding pair of spaced grooves in the float shaft, so as to position the float arm therebetween. Next the central arcuate portion of the prior art clip was snapped into position in the needle valve groove. Because of the limited space in the float bowl area, this was a tedious, timeconsuming operation. Frequently, several of these clips were used before satisfactory results were obtained.

The retainer clip 10 of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings and is installed in a similar manner. The retainer clip Ill is made from round resilient material. It is first formed into a U-shape 12, the lower portion of the arcuate bend is identified by the numeral 14. Leg members 16 and 18 are formed in generally parallel relationship and bent downwardly by subsequent operations. Intermediate the legs 16 and 18 are located radial portions 20 and 22. The inside radii of said radial portions 20 and 22 is of such dimension as to fit the outside contour of the circular grooves 24 and 26 located in the float retainer shaft 35) (FIG. 3).

The float member 32 is secured to arm 34, the upper portion of which is formed to engage the float shaft 30. The outer forward edges of arm 34 have formed thereon a pair of aligned looped sections 36 and 38 which engage the outside diameter of the float shaft 30. The float shaft 30 is tapered on both ends and is inserted through the looped sections 36 and 38 of the float arm 3 4. The assembled float and shaft is then positioned in the aligned grooves 42 and 44 in the carburetor body 40.

The lower portion 14 of the arcuate bend 12 is then positioned in the circular groove 48 in the needle valve and seat assembly 46 as shown in phantom in FIG. 4. The resilient retainer clip is then rotated to the solid line position shown in the same figure. It should be noted that the leg length is of such dimension that when the clip 10 is in its rearmost rotated (phantom) position, the ends of legs 16 and 18 extend beyond the axis of the carburetor float shaft 30. This construction eliminates 3 possibility of the resilient retainer clip of being dropped into the carburetor float bowl during assembly.

The retainer clip 10 of the present invention is simple, durable and inexpensive. In addition, this clip can be applied approximately 80 percent faster than existing devices and may be removed and reused many times without damage to the clip.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a carburetor construction having, a float bowl; aligned grooves on the sidewalls of said float bowl; a float member; a float shaft; a pair of spaced grooves on the float shaft intermediate the ends thereof; a pivotal arm on said float, the edges of said arm positioned between said spaced grooves; a needle valve and seat assembly in said float bowl; a groove in the outside diameter of said needle valve and seat assembly; the improvement comprising a resilient float retainer clip, the central portion of said clip being U-shaped, including legs positioned in generally parallel relationship and depending angularly from said central portion, the central portion and legs being arranged and dimensioned so that when the central portion is received in the groove in the needle valve and seat assembly the clip can be pivoted about said valve and seat assembly without being obstructed thereby; an arcuate portion at the intersection of said legs and said central portion; the arcuate portions of said retainer clip being engageable with the grooves in said float shaft, while the central portion is received in the valve and seat assembly groove, so as to retain said float shaft and float in said carburetor float bowl.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein the depending legs are of substantially equal length and disposed at an angle of less than 90 with respect to the central portion.

3. In a carburetor construction, the combination of a carburetor body; a float bowl in said carburetor body; aligned grooves on opposite side walls of said float bowl; a float member; a pivotal arm on said float member; said pivotal arm for receiving a float shaft; means on said shaft for locating and positioning said shaft with respect to said pivotal arm; a needle valve and seat assembly in said float bowl; a groove in the periphery of said needle valve and seat assembly; a resilient float retainer clip, the central portion of which is arcuately formed to engage the peripheral groove in said needle valve and seat assembly; two legs on said resilient clip in generally parallel relationship and formed angularly therewith, the included angle between the legs and the arcuate central portion being less than while the distance from the inside of the arcuate portion of the clip to the inside portion of each of the legs is slightly less than the respective distances from the peripheral groove to the float shaft 10- cating means, the central arcuate portion and the legs being arranged and dimensioned so that when the central portion of the clip is received in said needle valve and seat assembly groove, the clip can be pivoted about said assembly without being obstructed thereby; rotation of said resilient clip about the peripheral groove in said needle valve seat assembly after the leg members are cooperatively positioned in the locating means on said float shaft, causing the leg members to move over the locating means until the underside of the arcuately formed portion engages the float shaft proper, the tension created by the resilient clip between the elements positively maintaining said float shaft and float assembly in proper position in said float bowl.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 867,379 Kaufmann Oct. 1, 1907 2,430,719 Johnson Nov. 11, 1947 2,636,704 Norberg Apr. 28, 1953 2,702,562 Bimberg Feb. 22, 1955 2,856,666 Crothers Oct. 21, 1958 OTHER REFERENCES 1959 Ford Thunderbird Shop Manual, Service Dept., Ford Div., Ford Motor Co., copyright 1958, pp. 2-27 (Copy in Div. 28). 

